pandop | JoY update

Last weekend was Jewel of Yorkshire, and this is the long, and overdue update.

JoY was great, but exhausting. For the first time I went on the friday night too, and I went because I was dancing on the open stage. We were dancing to Trip to Bucharest/Flight of the Folk Mutants parts 1 and 2 by Bellowhead, which wasn't really ready, but we all love it, and 'took advantage' of Chris' preoccupation with organising JoY to talk her into it. From our perspective it went ok, there were a couple of blips, but everyone else said it looked really polished. So I guess we got away with it.

I enjoyed watching the other performances too - some of them were amazing. There was a bit of dodgy costuming/dancing too - but at least they had the courage to do a solo on the JoY stage, which is more than I do.

I completely failed to buy a top. But I did by a 25-yd skirt (oops)

Saturday I had an early start with a workshop in the first slot of the day - the first of my 3 workshops with Lynne Champman (Fulya), and we were dancing to The Pink Panther - it was such fun, the moves, the music and Fulya was such a good teacher. The on to an hour of sitting down, as I went to Tanya and Lesley's talk on tribal costuming. I came away very inspired to make a belt, and possibly a headpiece. Of course, what I want to make is unneccesarily complicated.
A bit of a break then, where I didn't manage to buy a top (but I did get a beledi dress, and a CD - the CD being the only thing from my list I actually got)

Straight into another Fulya workshop, this time Zumba Mora, to some music from Pirates of the Caribbean - I adored the skirt and fan work, the martial arts fans made a wonderful noise when we all snapped them open together. The onto my last workshop, Tribal Combinations and Variations, which should have been with Paulette Rees-Dennis, but as she was refused entry, it was covered by Cinzia Di Cioccio, who had been scheduled to assist Paulette anyway. It was a good workshop, I got a lot out of it.

The teachers' showcase on Saturday evening wasn't quite as it usually is, as it started with a special show produced by Yasmina of Cairo. I can't honestly say I enjoyed this. The rest of the show progressed as usual until the first interval, when we were all evacuated for a fire alarm - thankfully it was a false alarm, but I don't think the firecrew have every been so enthusiastically greeted - it was quite difficult to get everyone to the assembly point, as it was away from the firemen!

I really enjoyed the rest of the show - although seeing Farah Nasri do the Iraqi Gypsy made me fear for the next morning.

Sunday was another full day, starting with the Iraqi Gypsy workshop. Considering I had been woken up several times in the night with a throbbing headache, I am glad I managed to at least get through the first hour of the Iraqi workshop. I sat out for the rest though. I would definitely take another workshop with Farah Nasri though, as she was a really good teacher.
On then to my final Fulya workshop, Vintage Vixens, again with some lovely moves. There is one I think we should nick for North Wind. I don't think I demonstrated it to Chris very well on wednesday though - might have another go this week.
My final workshop was Legendary Stars with Mayodi. I am not sure I learnt very much about their style, but it was still a good workshop, lovely mix of technique and dancing.

Now all I have to do is decide what to do next time